Çré Parékñit said: Arriving in Çivaloka, from a distance the

sage Närada saw Lord Çiva, Çré Hara, who had just finished his worship of Lord Saìkarñaëa, Çré Hari. Entranced in ec- static love, Lord Çiva was dancing and loudly singing the glories of his Lord, while his associates played instrumen- tal music and shouted “Jaya! Jaya!” With great affection he praised his assistants like Nandéçvara, as well as the god- PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 179

dess Umä, who was expertly clapping her hands. The sightof all this delighted Närada. Vibrating his véëä and noddinghis head to show respect, he called out several times, “Youare the greatest recipient of Kåñëa’s mercy!” and in a sweetvoice he recounted to Lord Çiva everything just told him bytheir father, Lord Brahmä.

C OMMENTARY: Lord Çiva had just finished worshiping his Deity,

Lord Saìkarñaëa. The rituals of his worship were similar to thoseNärada had witnessed on earth at Prayäga, but at the end of theworship Lord Çiva displayed the symptoms of ecstasy describedin this verse. Worship of the Supreme Lord’s Deity attracts bothneophytes and advanced souls, but Vaiñëavas who are fully self-realized enjoy intimate relationships with their worshipable Deity.For such Vaiñëavas the Lord’s acceptance of even the simplestact of devotion brings profound devotional ecstasies. Thus Närada found Lord Çiva in a trance of saìkértana, recit-ing prayers to Lord Saìkarñaëa similar to those recorded in theFifth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (..):

“O my Lord, You are the only worshipable person, for You arethe Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all opu-lences. Your secure lotus feet are the only source of protectionfor all Your devotees, whom You satisfy by manifesting Yourselfin various forms. O my Lord, You deliver Your devotees from theclutches of material existence. Nondevotees, however, remainentangled in material existence by Your will. Kindly accept me asYour eternal servant.” Since Lord Çiva is an incarnation of the Personality of God-head, and Lord Çiva and the Personality of Godhead are thereforenondifferent, Lord Çiva does not need to worship Lord Saìkarñaëato become purified from material illusion. Lord Çiva performs180 / CHAPTER THREE

worship externally with standard paraphernalia to educate the

world about the transcendental tastes of devotional service. Brahmä is also considered an incarnation of Godhead, but Çiva and Brahmä are not equal in status. Lord Çiva is nondifferent from Viñëu in a more literal sense: the post of Brahmä is almost always occupied by a jéva, whereas no jéva can ever become çiva-tattva. Many statements from revealed scriptures characterize Lord Çiva as nondifferent from Lord Viñëu. For example, in the Padma Puräëa (Brahma-khaëòa .), in the description of the ten offenses against Lord Viñëu’s holy names, we read:

çivasya çré-viñëor ya iha guëa-nämädi-sakalaà

dhiyä bhinnaà paçyet sa khalu hari-nämähita-karaù

“One who sees differences between any of Lord Çiva’s qualities

and names and those of Çré Viñëu is an antagonist to hari- näma.” There are no similar injunctions about the nondifference of Brahmä and Viñëu. Authorized scriptures state that persons like Vasiñöha, who are certainly finite jévas, will become Lord Brahmä in their own universes in future lives. Theoretically any jéva soul can attain the post of Brahmä. As Lord Çiva told the Pracetäs:

sva-dharma-niñöhaù çata-janmabhiù pumän

viriïcatäm eti tataù paraà hi mäm

“A person who strictly executes his occupational duty, without

deviation, for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahmä, and if he becomes more qualified he can approach me, Lord Çiva.” (Bhägavatam ..) These words state that a jéva can join Lord Çiva, not that he can become Çiva. Närada has included Lord Çiva in his search for recipients of the Supreme Lord’s mercy because Lord Çiva is a special incarnation of the Lord in the form of His own devotee. The followers of Lord Çiva whom Närada saw on Çivaloka were all great Vaiñëavas who deeply imbibed their master’s mood PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 181

of viñëu-bhakti. Lord Çiva praised them for their artistic accom-

paniment, especially his consort Pärvaté for her hand-clapping,because their performance was manifested directly from puredevotion. Witnessing all this, Närada also became ecstatic. He dancedso enthusiastically that he was unable to offer prostrate obei-sances, and since he did not want to stop playing his véëä, heshowed respect simply by nodding his head. Then, wanting tosay something to show approval of Lord Çiva’s behavior, he pro-ceeded to recount what Brahmä had told him about Lord Çiva’sglories.

Kåñëa; rasa — of transcendental taste; dhärayä — by a flood;

Närada came closer, hoping to touch the dust of the lotus

feet of Lord Çiva, the best friend of the Vaiñëavas. But as the sage came near, Lord Çiva, a flood of Kåñëa conscious plea- sure driving him wild, forcibly drew Närada closer and embraced him. Without hesitating he asked Närada with respect, “Dear son of Brahmä, what are you saying?”

C OMMENTARY: Totally absorbed in ecstasy, Lord Çiva, when turn-

ing to greet Närada, at first found what Närada was telling him difficult to understand.

Absorbed in the taste of talking with that superlative

Vaiñëava Närada, Lord Çiva then stopped his playful danc-ing and sat down. He sat on a straw mat in the véräsanaposture, and a few of his gentle companions seated them-selves around him. With devotion Närada bowed down toLord Çiva, the life and soul of Pärvaté, and chanted the six-syllable Rudra mantra.

C OMMENTARY: One who is observing a serious vow should sit

on a kuça mat, called a våñé, assuming the meditative “hero’sposture,” which expresses one’s firm determination. This äsanais defined in the yoga-çästras. The Rudra-ñaò-aìgaka is a mantraof the Vedas. It begins with the words namas te.

Lord Rudra, the best of Vaiñëavas, the initiator of devo-

tional service to Viñëu, at once covered his ears and angrily replied.

C OMMENTARY: Vaiñëavänäà maheçvaraù: “Of all Vaiñëavas,

Lord Maheçvara is the greatest.” He is the greatest Vaiñëava because he initiates the teaching of pure devotional service. He founded the Rudra-sampradäya, one of the four authentic Vaiñëava schools. He is more famous as a Vaiñëava than as an incarnation of Viñëu.

çré-parékñit uväca — Çré Parékñit said; sambhräntaù — shocked;

as if; ätmänam — himself; manyamänaù — considering; abravét

— he said; çanaiù — in a soft voice.

Çré Parékñit said: Upon hearing this, the sage Närada was shocked. Thinking he had acted offensively, he at once stopped praising Lord Çiva’s nondifference from Kåñëa and began to speak in a soft voice.

Çré Närada said: You certainly know the confidential, mys-

terious glories of Lord Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas. And you expertly explain those glories.

C OMMENTARY: Although the greatness of the Lord and His devo-

tees is a fathomless mystery, Lord Çiva and other empowered Vaiñëava äcäryas are able to help ordinary conditioned souls understand it. Närada hopes Lord Çiva will accept praise at least on this account. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 187

He then boldly told Närada with surprise in his voice, “Just

see the most incomprehensible power of the pastimes ofthe Supreme Lord!

C OMMENTARY: Putting aside his embarrassment, Lord Çiva

pointed out to Närada the wonderful uniqueness of the pastimesthe Supreme Lord enacts with His devotees, in which the Lordtakes upon Himself many severe vows and penances just to winthe devotees’ blessings.

aho — oh; vicitra — of all kinds; gambhéra — deep; mahima —

“Oh, my Lord is so sober. He is such a deep and varied

ocean of great qualities. Even though I have committed many kinds of offenses against Him, He still does not reject me.”

C OMMENTARY: The ocean is too deep for one to measure, what

to speak of diving into it and reaching its bottom. The ocean cannot be moved from its fixed place, and the opposite shore is far beyond anyone’s vision. Similarly, the Supreme Lord’s quali- ties are countless, they include every possible kind of greatness, and each of His qualities is unrestricted and boundless. Lord Çiva considered himself offensive to have shown off his own power before Lord Kåñëa by offering Him benedictions. Other offenses he had committed against the Lord were too painful for him to recall. But Çré Kåñëa never considers anything done by Lord Çiva offensive, since Lord Çiva always acts in this world only to promote the cause of Kåñëa’s devotional service, either directly or indirectly.

sadyo hitvä ruñaà préto

sadyaù — at once; hitvä — putting aside; ruñam — anger; prétaù

— pleased; dattvä — giving; nija — his (Bäëa’s) own; sva-rüpatäm — a form like His (the Lord’s); bhavat — of you (LordÇiva); pärñadatäm — to the position of a personal associate;ninye — He brought; tam — him; duräpäm — rarely obtained;suraiù — by demigods; api — even.

At once, Lord Kåñëa put aside His anger. Now pleased, theLord gave Bäëa a form like His own and raised him to be-ing one of your associates, a position rarely obtained evenby demigods.

C OMMENTARY: In the fight against Bäëäsura, Lord Kåñëa had

already lifted His Sudarçana disc to kill Bäëa, His son’s enemy,but at that moment Lord Çiva interceded. Despite Bäëa’s long listof offenses against Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas, Bäëa had the onecredit of being Lord Çiva’s sincere devotee. This impressed LordKåñëa so much that He gave Bäëa a four-armed form of his own.Çré Kåñëa then told Lord Çiva:

catväro ’sya bhujäù çiñöä

bhaviñyaty ajarämaraù194 / CHAPTER THREE

pärñada-mukhyo bhavato na kutaçcid-bhayo ’suraù

“This demon, who still has four arms, will be immune to old age and death, and he will serve as one of your principal attendants. Thus he will have nothing to fear on any account.” (Bhägavatam ..)

When such enemies of the Vaiñëavas as Gärgya worshiped

you by severe penances, the benedictions you gave them were not without loopholes.

C OMMENTARY: Because Gärgya and others were inimical to the

Yädavas and Päëòavas, who were all staunch Vaiñëavas, Lord Çiva rewarded their worship with imperfect boons. According to the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (.), Gärgya Bäläki was a learned son of the sage Garga who was too proud of his ac- quired knowledge. By Lord Çiva’s blessing, Gärgya obtained a son, but not one who could destroy the Yadu dynasty, as Gärgya had wanted — only one who could frighten and frustrate the PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 195

Yadus. Similarly, Jayadratha received the limited boon that he

could only once defeat each of the Päëòavas, except Arjuna.Sudakñiëa was allowed to destroy any enemy of his choice whowas not a proper follower of brahminical culture, but this powerultimately turned against him. The full stories of these haplessdevotees of Lord Çiva are recorded in Çré Hari-vaàça, ViñëuPuräëa, and Çrémad-Bhägavatam.

Although Citraketu and others like him foolishly dared

criticize you, you never became angry at them, becausethey were surrendered devotees of plenary portions ofLord Hari.

C OMMENTARY: It is foolish for anyone to criticize Lord Çiva.

When Citraketu committed this mistake he was not yet a pureVaiñëava; otherwise he would not have exercised his discrimi-nation so wrongly. But Citraketu, even as a neophyte, had aconnection with Lord Çeña, an expansion of Çré Kåñëa’s first ex-pansion, Balaräma. So Lord Çiva was not offended by Citraketu’slaughing when Lord Çiva sat with Pärvaté on his lap in thepresence of a group of sages.196 / CHAPTER THREE

Once, just to please Lord Kåñëa, you expressed the desire

to become even greater than He. But then you very cleverly modified your request, asking Him instead to make you His devotee.

C OMMENTARY: This in Lord Çiva’s opinion was a particularly

egregious offense, based on the desire to be worshiped. He confesses in the Båhat-sahasra-näma-stotra (Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa .):

alabdhvä cätmanaù püjäà

samyag ärädhito hariù mayä tasmäd api çraiñöhyaà väïchatähaìkåtätmanä

“When I didn’t receive the worship I wanted, I served Lord Hari

thoroughly in devotional service, but with the egotistic motive of becoming even greater than He.” In this way Lord Çiva berates himself, but the truth is that even then he acted only for Kåñëa’s pleasure. He thought that Kåñëa would be displeased by a direct request that Lord Çiva become His servant. Since Kåñëa is self- PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 197

effacing by nature, He does not like exalted persons like Çiva to

act subordinate to Him. So Lord Çiva instead submitted whatseemed the opposite request. Kåñëa has declared His servantgreater than Himself. Mad-bhakta-püjäbhyadhikä: “More impor-tant than worshiping Me is worshiping My devotee.” (Bhäga-vatam ..) Therefore Lord Çiva cleverly asked for that greaterposition. Lord Çiva had also once overheard Kåñëa, while playingdice with His queen Rukmiëé, declare His devotee even moreglorious than Himself, in order to allure the dice into acting asHis devotees by serving Him nicely.

Therefore the Supreme Lord granted you and the goddess

Durgä the authority to give liberation, the liberation forwhich Brahmä and many others pray.

C OMMENTARY: Without Lord Viñëu’s personal sanction, no one

can become free from the cycle of birth and death: harià vinänaiva såtià taranti (Bhävärtha-dépikä ..). Moreover, LordViñëu abides by such statements from the Vedic çästras, whichconstitute His own laws. But having promised Lord Çiva a position198 / CHAPTER THREE

even better than His own, Lord Viñëu deputed to both Lord Çiva and his wife the power to bestow liberation on His behalf.

äù — ah; kim — what; väcyä — is to be said; anavacchinnä —

What more can I say? Kåñëa’s love for you is never inter- rupted. And by your mercy many others have become dear to Him.

C OMMENTARY: Närada is amazed that the greatest master of

yoga discipline, the chief of self-satisfied sages, the husband of material nature, completely disregards common standards of cul- tured behavior; he does not even walk and dance normally. Lord Çiva’s natural expressions of his inner feelings, if exhib- ited by anyone else, would be considered unacceptable or in- sane. Närada understands, however, that Lord Çiva’s unusual behavior is a sign of his exceptional greatness as a Vaiñëava who deeply tastes the ecstasies of devotional exchanges with the Su- preme Person. Therefore many serious aspirants for spiritual per- fection, such as the ten Pracetäs, have taken shelter of Lord Çiva to obtain the rare gift of viñëu-bhakti.

Çré Maheça said: Oh, how painful this is! My dear Närada,free of every trace of false pride, how can you compare me,the root of all pride, to Kåñëa, the Lord of prideless sages?

C OMMENTARY: Lord Çiva presides over the material force of

ahaìkära, by which everyone from the rulers of planets ondown thinks himself very important. And so Lord Çiva has some204 / CHAPTER THREE

reason to blame himself for the false ego that pervades the ma- terial universe. Närada, in contrast, is free from the influence of ahaìkära and so should not be idolizing Lord Çiva. At the oppo- site end to Lord Çiva in the spectrum of egotism, Lord Kåñëa is the source of pure pridelessness. Lord Çiva implies by this com- parison that no real relationship can exist between himself and Lord Kåñëa, who are so opposite in nature.

I am covered by many false identities. I consider myself the

lord of the universe, the all-knowing giver of knowledge, the liberated bestower of liberation, the devoted granter of devotion for Viñëu.

C OMMENTARY: One might think that the universal controller of

false ego should be immune to its influence. Lord Çiva now de- nies this, describing himself as subject to ahaìkära. He says he also considers himself a dear devotee of Viñëu and a recipient of Viñëu’s special mercy; and such a mentality, he thinks, is but another influence of false ego. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 205

Why would He worship me, His servant, and why would

He order me, “Turn people away from Me by concocting your own versions of scripture”?

C OMMENTARY: Here Lord Çiva tries to prove not only that Çré Kåñëa hardly cares for him but that the Lord actually holds him in contempt. Otherwise, Lord Çiva argues, Kåñëa would not have opposed him in battle on several occasions, as when Kåñëa stole Indra’s pärijäta flower and when Aniruddha stole Üñä, the daughter of Bäëäsura. Furthermore, when a master pretends to worship a servant, that servant is actually insulted and exposed to public ridicule. The pretense may even indicate that the master secretly holds some grudge against the servant and wants to humiliate him. This may have been the case in such instances as when Kåñëa worshiped Çiva to obtain an excellent son. Lord Çiva thus con- PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 207

cludes that Kåñëa’s asking benedictions from him indicates not

Kåñëa’s favor but Kåñëa’s contempt. Rather than overlook Lord Çiva’s transgressions, Kåñëa pun-ishes him in subtle ways. Lord Çiva is supposed to be a greatdevotee of Kåñëa because he teaches pure devotional service,yet Kåñëa ordered him to teach Mäyäväda atheism. Of course,Lord Çiva is actually a pure devotee and a recipient of LordKåñëa’s favor; even his teaching atheism is done for the sake ofprotecting the confidentiality of devotional service. But a puredevotee, naturally dissatisfied with himself, may often claim tohave no spiritual status. The last two lines of this verse are a quotation from theBåhat-sahasra-näma of the Padma Puräëa (Uttara .).

Therefore, O best of Kåñëa’s associates, do not think me a

recipient of His compassion. Rather, those who have ob- tained the essence of His mercy are the residents of Vaikuëöha.

C OMMENTARY: Because Närada is himself one of Lord Viñëu’s

principal attendants in Vaikuëöha, he should not have to be told that the Vaikuëöha-väsés are true recipients of the Lord’s mercy. In the next six verses (texts ‒) Lord Çiva specifies their qualifications.

They have given up everything as worthless straw. Wor-

shiping their dear Lord Hari in pure devotion, they haveno respect for the desirable achievements of this world;they will not even glance at those perfections.

C OMMENTARY: Some devotees have always been residents of

Vaikuëöha, and others are elevated to Vaikuëöha from the ma-terial world. Even the process of self-surrender by which thesädhana-siddha Vaiñëavas attain Vaikuëöha is glorious. The suc-cessful sädhakas attract the favor of Lord Viñëu by focusing theirdevotion on Him alone, ignoring every other means of success,including the religious principles of the Vedas and the mysticperfections of yoga. When material perfections come automati-cally to advanced Vaiñëavas, as secondary effects of exclusivedevotion, the Vaiñëavas pay no attention to them, as if thesetreasures that others struggle to obtain were worthless garbage.

the place of eternal knowledge and bliss; guëa-atétam — be-

Those devotees have abandoned every kind of false pride.

And they have attained the world beyond the material modes and devoid of all fear: Vaikuëöha, which is sac-cid- änanda — full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss.

C OMMENTARY: The residents of Vaikuëöha are greater not only

than the materialists, the candidates for liberation, and the liber- ated, but even than Lord Çiva, the giver of liberation. According to his own view of himself, Lord Çiva is subject to the influence of false ego, whereas the devotees in Vaikuëöha are free from this defect. By virtue of this freedom from false pride, Vaiñëavas attain Vaikuëöha, which in spite of being a particular place is not temporary and illusory like the places of the material world. The eternal existence of Vaikuëöha is full of pure consciousness and unlimitedly satisfying bliss. It has none of the restrictions of material existence. Many Puräëas describe the absolute perfection of Vaikuëöha. For example, in the conversation between Brahmä and Närada in Çré Närada Païcarätra, we can read, in the Jitaà-te-stotra:

“Impossible to attain for non-Vaiñnavas, the world called Vai-

kuëöha is devoid of the three material modes and full in the sixdivine traits. It is rich with eternally perfect souls, who all havethose same six traits and who appear in the five different agesof life. All-auspicious Vaikuëöha is beautified by many palacesand assembly halls and by wells, tanks, ponds, gardens, forests,and groves of trees. That transcendental world, worshiped bythe demigods, is more brilliantly effulgent than ten thousandsuns.” In the Brahmäëòa Puräëa:

“It is the abode of countless spiritual qualities, a world of unap-

proachable supreme light. It cannot be perceived by materialsenses, nor compared to anything known. It is supremely ec-static and beyond the scope of the senses.” In Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Second Canto (..‒):

pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoù

“Very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahmä, the Per-sonality of Godhead was pleased to manifest His personalabode, Vaikuëöha, the supreme planet above all others. Thistranscendental abode of the Lord is adored by all self-realizedpersons freed from all miseries and fear of illusory existence. In212 / CHAPTER THREE

that personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignorance

and passion do not prevail, nor have they any influence in good- ness. There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the illusory, external energy; it cannot enter that region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as devotees.” And in the Tenth Canto (..‒):

iti saïcintya bhagavän

mahä-käruëiko hariù darçayäm äsa lokaà svaà gopänäà tamasaù param

satyaà jïänam anantaà yad

brahma-jyotiù sanätanam yad dhi paçyanti munayo guëäpäye samähitäù

“Thus deeply considering the situation of the cowherd men, the

all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to them His abode, which is beyond material darkness. Lord Kåñëa revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, con- scious, and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature.” These verses identify Vaikuëöha with the brahma-jyotiù, the effulgent light of the all-pervading Supreme — that is, with the same absolute existence described in the Upaniñads under the name Brahman. With the eye of intelligence, self-satisfied sages (munis) envision Vaikuëöha, but they are not fit to achieve it.

In Vaikuëöha the residents have sac-cid-änanda bodies and

may avail themselves of the supreme opulence of LordHari. They have sac-cid-änanda powers, equal to His.But the residents of Vaikuëöha do not like to accept suchequality with the Lord.

C OMMENTARY: The residents of Vaikuëöha have individual bodily

forms, but these are not forms of material illusion. As YudhiñöhiraMahäräja said in a question to Närada Muni, dehendriyäsu-hénänäà/ vaikuëöha-pura-väsinäm: “The bodies of the inhabit-ants of Vaikuëöha are completely spiritual, having nothing to dowith the material body, senses, or life air.” (Bhägavatam ..) The Vaikuëöha-väsés are transcendental, and so also are theirexternal opulences. Each resident has more power and wealththan are available in millions of material universes and their cov-ering shells. These opulences, which the Vaikuëöha residentsachieve without effort and without limitations, are spiritual, eter-nal, and absolutely real; they are expansions of the SupremeLord’s divine energy, and so they are all infinitely desirable andfull of variety. Logical and scriptural evidence of these facts willbe presented later in Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta.

They are satisfied simply to worship Lord Hari with devo-

tion. They travel freely wherever they want, protecting and promoting the cause of the Lord’s devotees and the Lord’s devotional service.

C OMMENTARY: The devotees in Vaikuëöha do not want to equal

Lord Viñëu, because they want to serve Him in loving devotion. Nothing other than bhakti gives them pleasure. In Lord Viñëu’s own words, mayä santuñöa-manasaù/ sarväù sukha-mayä diçaù: “One whose mind is completely satisfied in Me finds only happi- ness wherever he goes.” (Bhägavatam ..) These eternally liberated Vaikuëöha-väsés are always helping others. Acting in the material world, they protect sincere persons from misunderstanding the principles of devotional service and thereby falling down and being punished by the agents of Yama- räja. The Vaikuëöha-väsés encourage the descent of advanced devotees into saintly families, act for the increased prosperity and influence of those devotees, and render unseen help to the devotees’ preaching, by which more and more conditioned jévas are brought back to Kåñëa consciousness. As instructing spiritual masters, the Vaikuëöha-väsés and their representatives remove the obstacles of attachment to karma and jïäna and inspire their disciples in various ways to dedicate themselves fully to Kåñëa’s service. Because the residents of Vaikuëöha are free from the restrictions of karma, their efforts never go in vain. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 215

They can always see Him in person, Lord Hari, who in- spires everyone’s pleasure and whose lotus feet are cared for by the goddess of fortune. Their life in His company is pure joy.

C OMMENTARY: Those who have attained liberation from ma-

terial existence enjoy boundless varieties of loving service. Only foolish, unfortunate persons ignore such an opportunity and in- stead pursue an impersonal idea of liberation. The devotees in Vaikuëöha feel compassion for the impersonalists, but it seems that while exuberantly serving Lord Näräyaëa the devotees ridi- cule the impersonalists by taking on the forms of animals, birds, and plants. Impersonalists cannot understand the difference be- tween the tämasic forms of lower life in the material world and the transcendental varieties of life in Vaikuëöha. Still, Vaikuëöha devotees never actually make fun of others to belittle them, be- cause devotees are always kind to the fallen. The Vaikuëöha devotees never indulge in useless frivolity, which is a deviation from the mood of pure devotion. That many kinds of animals and plants live in Vaikuëöha, and that they all enthusiastically serve the Supreme Person, is con- firmed by the description of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (..‒):

“When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the cakraväka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge, and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 217

own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord. The floweringplants like the arëa, kunda, utpala, campaka, bakula, ambuja,mandära, punnäga, kurabaka, pärijäta, and nägakeçara arefull of transcendental fragrance; but still they are conscious ofthe austerities performed by tulasé, for tulasé is given specialpreference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulasé leaves.” Lord Çiva uses the present verb form sampaçyantaù (“see-ing”) to indicate that Vaikuëöha devotees see the Lord withoutinterruption. By this he implies that he, in contrast, can see LordViñëu infrequently, and then only within his heart.

In Vaikuëöha nothing exists but devotional service, ren-

dered through saìkértana and in many other forms. It goes on incessantly, with great enthusiasm, spreading the ecstasy of pure love.

C OMMENTARY: Devotees in the spiritual world never tire of

chanting the Supreme Lord’s glories and singing and dancing for His pleasure. There, prema-bhakti is the only activity. Anything anyone does in Vaikuëöha is pure service and nothing else, because all the residents are fixed unswervingly in bhakti.

As recipients of such mercy, the divine residents of Vai-

kuëöha are much greater than I in many ways. How can I adequately describe their glories?

C OMMENTARY: Every resident of Vaikuëöha is çrémän, entirely

favored by the goddess of fortune, the consort of the Supreme Lord. Each of them, therefore, has access to the full wealth and power found in millions of universes. But because the Vaikuëöha- väsés are pure devotees, they prefer not to take advantage of these blessings for anything but the opportunity to serve their Lord. This distinguishes them from the conditioned souls of the material world.

“To those who have come under the influence of pure devotionfor Viñëu, and have therefore abandoned their worldly religiousduties and profitable endeavors just to worship the Soul of souls,I constantly offer my repeated respects.”

Greedy to taste the pleasure of devotion to Him, they have

no desire for anything else. To them liberation, heaven, and hell all appear the same.

C OMMENTARY: Fearlessness and freedom from selfish desires

are spontaneous symptoms of those who enjoy the transcenden- tal tastes of Kåñëa consciousness. The residents of Vaikuëöha are already perfect, but they humbly think themselves only potential candidates for prema-bhakti. Aspiring to be awarded exclusive love of God, they abandon attachment to property and family. They are not even interested in protecting themselves from threats to their lives. Since they have no desire for the worldly goals of prestige, security, and sense enjoyment, they have no urge to work to earn the money and pious credits required for obtaining these objects of desire. And as a further consequence of their freedom from material ambition, they have transcended identifying the self in terms of material social divisions, the bräh- maëa caste and other occupational designations, and even hu- man and demigod species. They have risen above the regular and occasional obligations of all these categories. From the very day of one’s birth, one is encumbered with three kinds of debts. To the demigods, who provide the basic needs of life, one owes the performance of sacrifice; to the par- ents, from whom one inherits the good karma and cultural heri- tage of one’s family, one owes offspring; and to the sages, who teach how to fulfill the spiritual potential of human life, one owes study of the Vedas. One who fails to absolve oneself from these debts by doing what is required and avoiding what is for- bidden can expect severe punishment from Yamaräja, the judge of the sinful:

åëais tribhir dvijo jäto

“Dear Prabhu, a member of the twice-born classes is born with

three kinds of debts — those owed to the demigods, to the PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 225

sages, and to his forefathers. If he leaves his body without first

liquidating these debts by performing sacrifice, studying thescriptures, and begetting children, he will fall down into a hellishcondition.” (Bhägavatam ..) The residents of Vaikuëöha, however, are immune from thereactions for neglecting the laws of material nature. These Vai-kuëöha residents need not perform ritual sacrifices, beget sons,or study the texts of the Vedas. They have no fear of karmicretribution. Nothing they do can be sinful. They can act confi-dently, however they wish, on the strength of their pure devotionto Lord Viñëu. Pure devotional service exempts Vaiñëavas from the karmicobligations of nondevotees, as Lord Kåñëa has explained to twoof His most trustworthy devotees, Uddhava and Arjuna:

tävat karmäëi kurvéta

na nirvidyeta yävatä mat-kathä-çravaëädau vä çraddhä yävan na jäyate

“As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has notawakened his taste for devotional service by çravaëaà kérta-naà viñëoù, one has to act according to the regulative principlesof the Vedic injunctions.” (Bhägavatam ..)

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.

I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”(Bhagavad-gétä .) Çré Närada also gave the same instruction to Vyäsadeva:

tyaktvä sva-dharmaà caraëämbujaà harer

bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi226 / CHAPTER THREE

yatra kva väbhadram abhüd amuñya kià

ko värtha äpto ’bhajatäà sva-dharmataù

“One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the

devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccess- ful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.” (Bhägavatam ..) The fearless residents of Vaikuëöha are also free from all selfish concerns. They have no interest in transcendental perfec- tions such as a personal form like the Supreme Lord’s, what to speak of the refined sense enjoyment of the residents of Lord Brahmä’s planet, or the happiness of impersonal nirväëa. In the eyes of the residents of Vaikuëöha, everything other than pure love of God is not only insignificant but also detrimental to the advancement of bhakti. Thus they consider impersonal libera- tion and being elevated to heaven the same as being sent to hell. Speaking here to Närada, Lord Çiva echoes his own words from the Sixth Canto of the Bhägavatam (..):

“Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Su-

preme Personality of Godhead, Näräyaëa, never fear any condi- tion of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.”

C OMMENTARY: Lord Çiva has higher regard for pure Vaiñëavas

atha bhägavatä yüyaà

“You are all devotees of the Lord, and so I appreciate that

you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of GodheadHimself. I know that the devotees also respect me in this wayand that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to thedevotees as I am.” (Bhägavatam ..)

In my opinion, dear Närada, anywhere such devotees are

found is actually Vaikuëöha-loka. Arguing against this fact would be useless.

C OMMENTARY: For Lord Çiva, pure Vaiñëavas living on earth or

anywhere else are no less glorious than the residents of Vai- kuëöha. Vaiñëavas should never be judged by whether they live in Lord Viñëu’s kingdom or not, because one who possesses the treasure of prema-bhakti always has the Lord living with him. The Personality of Godhead Himself has said:

Having drunk the nectar of devotion to Kåñëa, those devo-

tees forget their material bodies and relationships. Thuseven while living in material bodies, they assume the tran-scendental nature of eternity, knowledge, and bliss.

C OMMENTARY: One might question how devotees living on

earth and in Vaikuëöha can be equal. Don’t the residents of earthhave bodies made of material energy, while the residents ofVaikuëöha have transcendental bodies? But Lord Çiva confirmsthe equality of these devotees nonetheless. Vaiñëavas pay littleattention to their gross and subtle material bodies and to bodilyrelationships; Vaiñnavas do not consider the body their ownproperty and so are indifferent in this regard. Having overcomethe obstacles of bodily attachment, the devotees living in thematerial world enjoy the nectar of prema-bhakti without distrac-tion and are therefore equal to the residents of Vaikuëöha. Evenwhile living in material bodies, the Vaiñëavas lead an existencethat is completely spiritual, sac-cid-änanda. A devotee’s material body may literally transform into a spiri-tual one, like the body of Dhruva Mahäräja just before his ascentto Vaikuëöha. As described by Maitreya Åñi:

“Before getting aboard the Vaikuëöha airplane, Dhruva Mahäräja

worshiped and circumambulated it, and also offered obeisancesto the associates of Viñëu. In the meantime he became as brilliant230 / CHAPTER THREE

and illuminating as molten gold. He was thus completely pre-

pared to board the transcendental plane.” (Bhägavatam ..) Commenting on this verse, Çréla Çrédhara Svämé explains hiraë- mayam as meaning “full of effulgence.” In other words, Dhruva Mahäräja obtained a new body made of pure spiritual energy. To thus obtain a better body is quite possible. Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé mentions that even drinking a special herbal tonic can give one a more attractive material body; then what to speak of the attrac- tive form one can attain by always drinking the transcendental tonic of bhakti-rasa.

But in Vaikuëöha devotees always relish ongoing pleasure

pastimes in the very company of the Lord. Therefore devo- tees sometimes prefer to live there.

C OMMENTARY: Why single out Vaikuëöha and its residents for

praise if devotees of Viñëu on the earth are equally glorious? Because although the pure Vaiñëavas reveal on earth the glories of devotional service, only in Vaikuëöha do the devotees enjoy the company of the husband of the goddess of fortune in endless PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 231

varieties of ecstatic pastimes. These loving reciprocations appear

in Vaikuëöha and nowhere else. For that reason, Vaikuëöha hasreceived its name. It is the world where no one ever feels theanxiety (kuëöhatä) of not tasting the perpetual flow of devo-tional rasa. When the Personality of Godhead momentarily dis-appears from the external or internal sight of His devotees inVaikuëöha, His disappearance only increases their eagerness tosee Him and be with Him. In Vaikuëöha even the Lord’s absenceincreases His devotees’ awareness of Him and their enjoymentof rasa.

That is why I say that the residents of Vaikuëöha are greater

than everyone else. As the objects of Kåñëa’s specialmercy, they are His most beloved devotees.

C OMMENTARY: The Vaikuëöha-väsés are greater than liberated

Vaiñëavas in the material world, among whom Lord Çiva countshimself. The reason for their various manifest glories, Lord Çivaargues, must be Lord Viñëu’s favoring them more than others.They must be His dearest servants.232 / CHAPTER THREE

Çré Pärvaté said: Furthermore, among them all, the

goddess Çré is famous as especially dear to the Lord. She is indeed the ruling goddess of Vaikuëöha and its residents.

C OMMENTARY: Lord Çiva’s consort Devé is a partial expansion of

Lord Viñëu’s consort Çré. When Pärvaté heard her husband praise Vaikuëöha without mentioning the queen of Vaikuëöha, Pärvaté became somewhat disturbed. She therefore took the liberty to speak out. Everyone who knows the goddess Çré knows that she is the beloved wife of Lord Viñëu; indeed, one of her names is Hari- priyä. She is worshiped with reverence by all the Vaikuëöha- väsés. To uphold the claim that Lord Viñëu’s consort Çré is His most favored devotee, Pärvaté will now describe her greatness in more detail. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 233

Her mercy expands wherever she casts her sidelong glance.

Thus the rulers of the various planets obtain their powers,their knowledge, their detachment, and their devotion.

C OMMENTARY: According to Mother Pärvaté, the demigods are

powerful only by the blessings of the goddess Çré. It is thanks toÇré that the demigods correctly understand the relative positionsof God and the finite living entities, that they have given upinterest in material enjoyment and liberation, and that they havebecome devotees of the Personality of Godhead. As DurväsäMuni told Indra in the Viñëu Puräëa (..):

In the same chapter of the Viñëu Puräëa (..), Lord Indra

“O resplendent goddess, you personify the mystic knowledge

of sacrifice, of material nature, of the secrets of devotional ser- vice, and of perfection for the soul. You are the giver of ulti- mate liberation.” Ultimate liberation is pure devotional service, which is ruled by the consort of the Supreme Person and gained by a fortunate soul only when she recommends that soul to the Lord.

Ignoring people like you who worship her with great re- spect, she vowed to undergo severe penances to worship her beloved Lord, even though He was indifferent to her. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 235

C OMMENTARY: Only devotional service to the Supreme Lord can

attract the attention of the goddess Lakñmé, who worships LordNäräyaëa with pure devotion. She willingly accepts any difficultyand any menial service to please Him, although He, being satis-fied in Himself, does not need anyone’s help to fulfill His desires.Many Vaiñëavas look to Mother Lakñmé’s example of perfect sur-render, hoping to follow in her footsteps. The wives of the Käliyasnake, for example, prayed to Çré Kåñëa:

kasyänubhävo ’sya na deva vidmahe

“O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Käliya has attained

this great opportunity of being touched by the dust of Your lotusfeet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austeritiesfor centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austerevows.” (Bhägavatam ..) The supreme goddess Mahä-lakñmé is the eternal beloved ofthe Lord of Vaikuëöha; she does not have to worship Him toachieve Him. But her expansions descend as avatäras to ac-company the various incarnations of Näräyaëa, and some ofthese avatäras of Mahä-lakñmé, such as the daughter of BhåguMuni, are described in Vedic scriptures as performing penancesto obtain the Lord as their husband.

karoti — does; vasatim — residence; nityam — perpetually; yä —

This most perfect of chaste wives resides forever on His

beautiful chest and follows Him in all His incarnations.

C OMMENTARY: One of Çré Mahä-lakñmé’s expansions is the Lakñmé

who controls and dispenses the opulences of this material world. Those who seek this Lakñmé’s grace know from their experience that she is fickle, caïcalä. But the original Lakñmé is never un- steady in her devotion to Lord Näräyaëa. She always stays in His company, residing on His chest and following wherever He goes: evaà yathä jagat-svämé deva-devo janärdanaù avatäraà karoty eña tathä çrés tat-sahäyiné

“Glories to you, O Vaikuëöha world! Glories to all who live

C OMMENTARY: Having heard Lord Çiva and Pärvaté’s description

of the glories of Vaikuëöha, its residents, and its presiding god- dess, Närada was overwhelmed with ecstasy. Although the Su- preme Person was currently present on earth in Dvärakä, Närada forgot this and wanted to go at once to Vaikuëöha. Expressing his ecstasy, he first praised Lord Näräyaëa, then His kingdom and its residents, and last the greatest devotee in Vaikuëöha, Çré Mahä-lakñmé.

Then, wanting to visit Vaikuëöha and personally offer re-

spects to the goddess of fortune, Närada stood up. Seeing this, Lord Çiva took him by the hand to stop him. Lord Çiva then spoke.

C OMMENTARY: From the words Närada was speaking and from

how he turned his eyes upward, Lord Çiva could understand that Närada intended to visit Vaikuëöha and personally offer respects to the goddess Mahä-lakñmé. But by doing this, Närada would neglect an even better opportunity. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 239

Çré Maheça said: My dear Närada, because of your eager-

ness to see the dearest devotees of Kåñëa, you have lostyour memory. Don’t you remember that the Lord ofVaikuëöha is living right now on earth, in Dvärakä?

C OMMENTARY: Närada is not to be blamed for being distracted

by the glories of the Lord of Vaikuëöha and His consort, becauseNäräyaëa and Mahä-lakñmé are indeed the all-attractive supremecouple. But Närada could now see the same Näräyaëa andMahä-lakñmé without having to travel so far.

Queen Rukmiëé is the supreme goddess of fortune her-

self, and Kåñëa is the original Personality of Godhead. Rukmiëé’s partial incarnations accompany Lord Vämana and the other avatäras of the Lord.

C OMMENTARY: In case Närada has any doubt that the goddess

Mahä-lakñmé is appearing with Çré Kåñëa, Lord Çiva reminds Närada that she has descended as the daughter of King Bhéñ- maka. Still, Närada might raise the doubt that Çré Mahä-lakñmé never leaves the side of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Näräyaëa. Lord Çiva answers this by quoting the assertion given in the Bhägavatam (..) kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam: Kåñëa as He appears on earth is that original Personality of Godhead. But why then is Lakñmé sometimes seen in the company of incarna- tions of the Lord such as Çré Vämana, the thousand-headed Mahä- puruña, and Kapiladeva? Because these Lakñmés are avatäras of Mahä-lakñmé. That original goddess of fortune, the dearest devo- tee of the Lord in Vaikuëöha, has descended to Dvärakä as Queen Rukmiëé.

So sit down, my dear brähmaëa, and I shall whisper in

your ear a great secret. Please hear this with absoluteconfidence.242 / CHAPTER THREE

C OMMENTARY: Since the original Personality of Godhead and

His original consort have appeared on earth, Närada should put aside his eagerness to run off to Vaikuëöha and should just sit for a minute to hear what more Lord Çiva has to say. Nor should Närada run immediately to Dvärakä without first listening to Lord Çiva’s confidential advice. Because what Lord Çiva wishes to say should not be heard by everyone, not even by his personal asso- ciates, he wants to whisper it into Närada’s ear, thus also avoid- ing the possibility of displeasing Pärvaté, who is a close friend of Mahä-lakñmé’s.

There is a greater recipient of Kåñëa’s mercy than your fa-

ther, me, and other servants like Garuòa, and even than the goddess of fortune. His name is Prahläda. He is famous throughout the world as the dearmost devotee of Kåñëa. PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 243

C OMMENTARY: “Do not expect to fulfill your intentions by visit-

ing Dvärakä just now,” Lord Çiva is telling Närada. “There is adevotee in this world even greater than the supreme goddess offortune, and that is Prahläda. Before going anywhere else youshould visit him.” Because Prahläda’s devotion to the SupremeLord is so deep, he is exceptionally dear to the Lord. He isgreater than all the Lord’s servants in Vaikuëöha, includingGaruòa and Viñvaksena and even Lakñmé.

“Without saintly persons for whom I am the only destina-

tion, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss or My supreme opulences.”

C OMMENTARY: This verse, spoken by the Supreme Lord to

Durväsä Muni in the Ninth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (..), is cited here to establish the greatness of the Vaiñëavas in gen- eral. The Personality of Godhead derives great satisfaction from His pure devotees on the earth and elsewhere, and in contrast He is not as much attracted to His own consort in Vaikuëöha or the imperishable opulences she creates for His pleasure. Nor is He as much attracted by His own beauty. As the Lord further told Durväsä:

“I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am

not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotees, even the devotees of My devotees are very dear to Me.”

vaçe kurvanti mäà bhaktyä

sat-striyaù sat-patià yathä

“As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by

service, pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and com-pletely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me undertheir full control.” (Bhägavatam .., ) Uddhava heard similar words from Çré Kåñëa:

“My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, Lord Saì-karñaëa, the goddess of fortune, nor indeed My own self is asdear to Me as you.” (Bhägavatam ..) Çréla Sanätana Gosvämécomments that Çré Kåñëa, in this verse from the Bhägavatam,meant to make the general statement that no one else is as dearto Him as His pure devotees, but because Kåñëa became so ec-static thinking about the specific glories of His devotees, insteadof saying “My devotee” He unintentionally said “you, Uddhava.”

api — also; sä — that; yebhyaù — compared to which (devo-

The Lord’s divine personal form is the source of all the

demigods, including me, and gives great pleasure to His devotees. But the Lord considers His own body worthless compared to the value of His devotees. Who is fit to praise the Lord’s devotees?

C OMMENTARY: The demigods, headed by Çiva, Brahmä, and

Indra, all originate from the creator of the universe, the Supreme Lord’s Mahäpuruña incarnation. That Mahäpuruña form of Viñëu is a direct expansion of Lord Näräyaëa. In another sense of the word yoni, Näräyaëa Himself is the shelter of all created and noncreated beings. His personal form is superior, therefore, to the glorious worshipable forms of all the demigods. The Lord’s all-attractive beauty delights His servants like Çeña and Garuòa, who enjoy taking part in His pastimes. The opulence and sweet- ness of the Lord’s çré-mürti cannot be completely described in words. However, in the opinion of the Personality of Godhead Himself, His own opulence and sweetness are unworthy of at- tention compared to the greatness of His pure devotees. Who can adequately glorify the unalloyed Vaiñëavas? No one.

säkñät — personally; bhagavatä — by the Supreme Lord; eva —

Moreover, among those countless devotees Prahläda stands

out as the example of perfection. The Lord Himself hasdescribed him in this way. Prahläda’s good fortune isinconceivable.

C OMMENTARY: Prahläda is one of the rare Vaiñëavas, described

in the previous verse, who have no trace of material motivation.The Supreme Lord cherishes such pure devotees more than Hisown self, what to speak of Brahmä and other demigods. Further-more, as the present verse states, Prahläda’s surrender is espe-cially complete, conferring on him a devotional position superiorto that of pure devotees such as Çeña and Garuòa. His goodfortune is unique among Vaiñëavas, as the Lord has declaredto him:

When the Lord tore apart Hiraëyakaçipu, I, all the demi-

gods, and the goddess Lakñmé witnessed with our own eyes the incomparable good fortune of Prahläda.

C OMMENTARY: Lord Çiva, Brahmä, and many other demigods

and devotees, headed by Lakñmédevé and Garuòa, witnessed the killing of Hiraëyakaçipu by Lord Nåsiàha. With such substantial first-hand evidence for the Lord’s special kindness to Prahläda, no one should think that Prahläda’s birth in a family of demons disqualified him from being a Vaiñëava. The Lord’s appearance for the sake of Prahläda is further described in the Seventh Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Chapter Eight.

“Lord Viñëu several times tried to offer him boons, but

Prahläda refused to ask to be liberated. Instead he chose only pure devotion. I bow down before him.” PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 249

C OMMENTARY: This verse, quoted from the Näräyaëa-vyüha-

stava, highlights the exclusiveness of Prahläda’s devotion to theSupreme Lord. Lord Nåsiàha tried hard to entice Prahläda withliberation, just to let others see Prahläda’s resolve to stay fixed inpure devotion. The words punaù punaù (“again and again”) canbe understood in several logical contexts. The idea may be, asgiven in this translation, that Lord Nåsiàha offered Prahläda lib-eration several times. Or else it may be that Prahläda repeatedlyasked for pure devotion. Or else Prahläda asked for pure devo-tion in his repeated future births. Prahläda expresses this lastidea in his prayer to Lord Nåsiàha recorded by Paräçara Muni inÇré Viñëu Puräëa (..):

My dear sage, Bali violated spiritual etiquette by disobeying

the order of his spiritual master and failing to be true to his own words. Still, as we know, the Lord agreed to become the guard at Bali’s door. Was that simply the fruit of Bali’s insignificant charity? The Lord also granted protection to the wicked Bäëa. Was that the result of my offering the Lord prayers?

C OMMENTARY: Because the Personality of Godhead blessed Bali

Mahäräja by becoming his doorkeeper, someone might suggest that Bali received more mercy than Prahläda. But according to Lord Çiva this is not true. Rather, Lord Viñëu favored Bali only because Bali was Prahläda’s grandson. Fighting for the demons against the demigods, Bali overturned the law of the universe, set by Lord Brahmä, that the demigods should rule heaven, the demons the subterranean Pätäla-loka. By invading heaven, usurping the throne of Indra, and awarding the posts of various demigods to demons, Bali violated this natural order. Bali also disobeyed specific instructions from his spiritual master, Çukräcärya. Çukra warned Bali not to give anything PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 251

evam açraddhitaà çiñyam

anädeça-karaà guruù çaçäpa daiva-prahitaù satya-sandhaà manasvinam

“The spiritual master, Çukräcärya, inspired by the Supreme Lord,

cursed his exalted disciple Bali Mahäräja, who was so magnani-mous and fixed in truth that instead of respecting the spiritualmaster’s instructions he wanted to disobey them.” After being cursed for agreeing to give Lord Vämana whatHe had asked, Bali could not even provide the charity he hadoffered. Vämanadeva covered the entire universe with only twosteps, and no land remained on which He could place His third.Thus Bali’s elegant words promising charity became an emptypromise. He had told the Lord:

yad yad vaöo väïchasi tat pratéccha me

“O son of a brähmaëa, it appears that You have come here to

ask me for something. Therefore, whatever You want You maytake from me. O best of those who are worshipable, You may takefrom me a cow, gold, horses, elephants, chariots, a furnishedhouse, prosperous villages, palatable food and drink, the daugh-ter of a brähmaëa for Your wife, or whatever You desire.” (Bhä-gavatam ..) When Vämanadeva submitted a request thatseemed too modest, Bali laughed at Him and said:252 / CHAPTER THREE

“O son of a brähmaëa, Your instructions are as good as those

of learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy, and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very pru- dent in regard to Your self-interest.” (Bhägavatam ..) And when Vämanadeva insisted that He wanted nothing more than as much land as He could cover with three steps, Bali replied with confidence. As stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (..):

ity uktaù sa hasan präha

väïchätaù pratigåhyatäm

“When the Lord had thus spoken, Bali smiled and told Him, ‘All right. Take whatever You like.’” But when his promise proved impossible to fulfill, these proud words became a reason for Bali to be ashamed. It seems that Bali did not give away anything very important, just the three insignificant material worlds and then his own body. Padaà tåtéyaà kuru çérñëi me nijam: “Please place Your third lotus footstep on my head.” (Bhägavatam ..) Vämana- deva’s becoming Bali’s doorkeeper could not have been the re- sult of just this meager charity, Lord Çiva proposes. The Lord must have reciprocated with Bali in this way because Bali’s grand- father Prahläda was a great soul and a dear devotee of Viñëu. Bali did not deserve this benediction, because he was a violator of the universal order, a transgressor of his guru’s order, and a breaker of promises. We see in this world that, as a general rule, in exchange for worthless trifles nothing substantial can be ob- tained. Bali’s petty charity, therefore, could not have purchased the Personality of Godhead, who is the embodiment of eternal knowledge and bliss. That charity certainly could not have re- sulted in the Lord’s entering Bali’s household entourage. The only feasible explanation for Bali’s good fortune is the intimate PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 253

exchange of prema-bhakti between Prahläda Mahäräja and his

worshipable Lord. In defense of Bali, someone might argue from the statementsof çästra that Prahläda had blessed Bali with the gift of puredevotion for the Lord and on the strength of that devotion heachieved the Lord. Another example is therefore given here, thatof Bäëäsura, a much more wicked person. Other than the Lord’scompassion for Prahläda, there can be no reason for Bäëa’s sal-vation. Not even Lord Çiva’s intercession on Bäëa’s behalf couldhave saved Bäëa’s life when Kåñëa was about to kill him, norcould Bäëa have achieved the perfection of having all but four ofhis arms removed, nor would Lord Kåñëa have made Bäëa LordÇiva’s eternal associate. Bäëäsura was so wicked that he even dared challenge LordÇiva, his object of worship:

namasye tväà mahädeva

lokänäà gurum éçvaram puàsäm apürëa-kämänäà käma-pürämaräìghripam

doù-sahasraà tvayä dattaà

“O Lord Mahädeva, I bow down to you, the spiritual master and

controller of the worlds. You are like the heavenly tree that ful-fills the desires of those whose desires are unfulfilled. These onethousand arms you bestowed upon me have become merely aheavy burden. Besides you, I find no one in the three worldsworthy for me to fight.” (Bhägavatam ..‒) Bäëa had alsoabandoned the devotion to Lord Viñëu that was traditional in hisfamily; instead he became an enemy of the Vaiñëavas, demigods,and brähmaëas like an ordinary demon. He arrested Lord Kåñëa’sgrandson Aniruddha, fought against Kåñëa, and committed otheroffenses, described in various Puräëas.254 / CHAPTER THREE

Lord Çiva here asks, “Was it because of my prayers that Çré Kåñëa excused Bäëa for all his nonsense?” Of course not, Lord Çiva in- sists. Only because of Prahläda’s pure devotion did Lord Kåñëa deliver Bäëäsura. Offenses against Vaiñëavas such as those Bäëa committed can be absolved only by the Vaiñëavas’ mercy. It was by Prahläda’s grace that his grandson Bali and great-grandson Bäëa were dealt with favorably by the Lord. The only reason the Lord pardoned them for their offenses and elevated them was to please Prahläda.

No, in both cases the Lord acted out of affection for

Prahläda, His most beloved devotee. But what more about this can I say in the presence of Gauré, the close friend of the goddess Lakñmé?

C OMMENTARY: Närada might like to hear more about the glories

of Prahläda Mahäräja, but Lord Çiva is afraid to arouse the anger of his wife. If he says much more in praise of Prahläda, he will doubt- lessly fall into an ecstatic trance. If he then speaks too loudly, Pärvaté might hear what he is saying. She is a good friend of Mahä- lakñmé’s and would not like to hear about Prahläda’s being a PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 255

greater devotee than the Supreme Lord’s consort. If Pärvaté be-

comes annoyed, Lord Çiva worries, she will react disrespectfullytoward himself and Närada, and that will not be good for her. Reason dictates that a newcomer to devotional service likePrahläda could not surpass the goddess Lakñmé, who eternallyresides on the chest of Lord Näräyaëa, yet still Prahläda receivedspecial mercy from the Lord to put him in that unlikely standing.When Brahmä gave Hiraëyakaçipu the boons that made him thescourge of the three worlds, the Supreme Lord was concernedthat His devotees not have their confidence in devotional serviceweakened by seeing their enemy allowed to become so power-ful. To help dispel the Vaiñëavas’ anxieties and doubts, LordNåsiàha, right after killing Hiraëyakaçipu, blessed Prahläda tobecome greater than all other devotees, past and present — in-cluding the residents of Vaikuëöha, His personal attendants, andHis beloved consort Lakñmé. With this benediction in mind, LordÇiva has said about Prahläda in Text , “There is a greater recipi-ent of Kåñëa’s mercy than your father, me, and other servants likeGaruòa, and even than the goddess of fortune. His name isPrahläda. He is famous throughout the world as the dearmostdevotee of Kåñëa.” And in Text : “When the Lord tore apartHiraëyakaçipu, I, all the demigods, and the goddess Lakñmé wit-nessed with our own eyes the incomparable good fortune ofPrahläda.” Thus, by the Lord’s sweet will, Prahläda became thegreatest Vaiñëava, which would otherwise have been impossible. Sometimes the Personality of Godhead declares other “recent”devotees like Prahläda dearer to Himself than Lord Saìkarñaëa,Mahä-lakñmé, and other great personalities of the eternal king-dom of Vaikuëöha. Çré Kåñëa tells Uddhava:

you.” (Bhägavatam ..) Lord Näräyaëa similarly tells Durväsä

näham ätmänam äçäse

“Without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I

am not attracted to My own self or to My supreme consort, the goddess Çré.” (Bhägavatam ..) One reason why the Supreme Lord speaks like this is that although His eternal associates — Saìkarñaëa, Mahä-lakñmé, and so on — are ever established in unswerving devotion, they underwent no tribulations to gain it, whereas His “new” devotees in the material world have sacrificed all comforts and security to gain pure devotional service. For the trouble such devotees have taken, Lord Kåñëa is especially grate- ful. Besides this, the Lord wants to encourage all His devotees to surrender themselves more fully, and to accomplish this He em- phatically praises devotees like Prahläda who have taken great risks for His satisfaction. One might ask how Prahläda can be greater than Brahmä, Indra, and other demigods. The demigods, on one hand, are frequently able to have the audience of Lord Viñëu, which is the final perfection of all spiritual practices. Çré Prahläda, on the other hand, associates with the Lord mostly by remembering Him. We will hear Prahläda say about himself in the next chapter of the Båhad-bhägavatämåta (Text ):

“I have never performed any real service for the Lord like Hanumän and others. I have only remembered the Lord some- times, when my mind was troubled.” Nonetheless, we should PRAPAÏCÄTÉTA: Beyond the MATERIAL WORLD / 257

remember that Prahläda does in fact see the Lord constantly, andaccording to the description of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Fifth Canto,Chapter Eighteen) Prahläda offers Him incessant prayers on theplanet Hari-varña. Prahläda’s grandson Bali has also inheritedfrom him the right to see the Lord constantly, and thus Çré Vämana-deva stays with Bali in his palace. If Prahläda criticizes himselffor only being able to remember the Lord and not see Himdirectly, that is simply dissatisfaction with himself due to thehumility that such a perfect Vaiñëava naturally feels. Despitewhat he says about himself, he is dearer to the Supreme Lordthan even the Lord’s eternal associates in Vaikuëöha. In some manuscripts of Båhad-bhägavatämåta, the follow-ing verse is inserted between texts  and :

garbha-stho yady api tvat ke-

nopadeçena bhaktimän sa jätas tad api tvaà ca tasmät sukham aväpsyasi

“Granted, the reason he became endowed with pure devotion

was that you gave him certain instructions while he was still inthe womb. But all the same he was born as a pure devotee, andso you deserve to be awarded with happiness in the future.”

person; äçliñya — embracing; mat-äçleña — of my embrace; äva-

Go quickly to Sutala. Offer Prahläda your countless bless-

ings, embrace him, and tell him I embrace him again and again.

C OMMENTARY: At the time of Lord Çiva’s speaking, Prahläda was

residing on Sutala, the third Pätäla planet, ruled by Bali Mahäräja. When Prahläda had come to witness Bali’s encounter with Lord Vämana, the Lord had invited Prahläda to visit Sutala-loka and enjoy His own association there for some time:

vatsa prahläda bhadraà te

prayähi sutalälayam modamänaù sva-pautreëa jïäténäà sukham ävaha

nityaà drañöäsi mäà tatra

“My dear son Prahläda, all good fortune unto you. For the time being, please go to the place known as Sutala and there enjoy happiness with your grandson and your other relatives and friends. You shall be able to see Me there in My usual feature with disc, club, lotus, and conchshell in My hands. Because of your transcendental bliss from always personally seeing Me, you will have no further bondage to fruitive activities.” (Bhägavatam ..‒)